Left to Rght Samuel Ramey having his "Devil" makeup applied by Charles Elsen. Provided

Two community theater troupes are staging plays almost back to back that examine sequential chapters of gay history. "The Boys in the Band," a watershed depiction of freewheeling gay men in the pre-Stonewall era, is being presented by the Local Actors Guild of Saratoga starting Friday for a two week run. On March 30, the Troy Civic Theatre opens "Chasing Charles," an original play about the life of Charles Elsen, a Schenectady native who found fame as a makeup artist and wig designer and died of AIDS in 1985 at age 39.

A driving force behind both productions is J.J. Buechner, a 39-year-old Saratogian and all around man of the theater. Buechner is the producer of and lead actor in "Boys in the Band" and also the playwright of "Chasing Charles."

It's a testimony to Buechner's ambition and tenacity that 12 years ago he founded the Local Actors Guild of Saratoga, which has produced three to four new shows most every year since.

"People will say you're crazy for doing this or that show," recalls Buechner. "That makes me want to do it all the more."

An example is last season's "Angels in America: Millennium Approaches." Buechner was warned that it requires a prohibitive amount of technology. He nevertheless proceeded with a minimalist production in the intimate theater at Saratoga Arts, the company's home base. Citing playwright Tony Kushner's endorsement of simplicity in staging, Buechner says, "We cast really good actors and it was a really good show." Buechner played Roy Cohn.

Not everything in the Actors Guild repertoire is expressly gay. Last season also featured "A Streetcar Named Desire" and "Avenue Q." Sometimes the gay stuff is only tangential, such as the campy fun of "Psycho Beach Party," or "9 to 5: The Musical." Yet Buechner and his team haven't shied away from landmark shows like "Angels," Larry Kramer's "The Normal Heart" and also "Boys in the Band."

"Boys" depicts a group of young gay Manhattanites and their efforts, both joyful and tortured, to find themselves during a repressive era. It opened off-Broadway 50 years ago and to celebrate that anniversary a new production goes into previews at Broadway's Booth Theater in April for a limited run through mid-August. The high-wattage cast features Jim Parsons, Matt Bomer, Zachary Quinto and Andrew Rannells. There's a not so subtle message in the casting — all of those stars are out gay men.

"I was surprised we got the rights," says Buechner, who kept the script at the front of his shelf for several years waiting for the right moment. It was a happy accident that his timing coincided with the anniversary. But once the New York City production was announced, Buechner rang up Samuel French, Inc. to confirm that things were still good to go. Because he got a jump on Broadway, they honored the license.

As for Buechner's role in the show, he swears it was the decision of director Sierra Lynch to give him the lead role of Michael.

"His No. 1 strength is he's a chameleon," says Lynch. "He takes so many different forms with ease and when needed he can be super nitpicky in rehearsals."

The play is part comedy, part tragedy. Michael is the host of a party that starts merry but turns dark. "It's one of the more difficult roles I've had to play," says Buechner. "He does an emotional turnaround and destroys his friends in the process. I could never do that to my friends so it's challenging."

As an actor, Buechner says he used to always be called for the funny roles. Snappy banter also came naturally during his youthful work as a drag queen. He views the bitter and self-loathing character of Michael as yet another side of the gay persona. "I know a couple of Michaels and I can pull from them," says Buechner. "It's disheartening that some people are still in that space."

For gay men of the '60s and '70s the advances in rights and acceptance were quickly dampened by the scourge of AIDS. That brutal turnabout is vividly depicted in Buechner's "Chasing Charles." The play is based on firsthand knowledge since Charles Elsen, the principal character, was Buechner's cousin.

Elsen held early ambitions to be an operatic tenor and enrolled at Juilliard while still a teen. Then he found success in an unexpected capacity. He excelled at creating hair and makeup for some of opera's biggest stars, including Beverly Sills, Joan Sutherland, Birgit Nilsson, Placido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti.

Not uncommon for the time, Elsen pursued his sex life with equal gusto. Sudden complaints of cold symptoms led to him being hospitalized. Within three months he was dead.

More Information

If you go

"The Boys in the Band"

When: Opens 8 p.m. Friday and continues for five more performances through March 25.

Where: Saratoga Arts, 320 Broadway, Saratoga Springs

Tickets: $20. Call 518-393-3496

"Chasing Charles"

When: Opens 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 30, and continues for four more performances through April 7.

Where: Arts Center of the Capital Region, 265 River St, Troy

Tickets: $20. Call 518-256-7780.

"I started remembering stories I heard about him and I knew how famous he was. But what about as a person?" recalls Buechner. It was after he interviewed Elsen's business partner and best friend that the script came together. Lighthearted scenes with friends and lovers are included for comedic relief. The show had its debut in 2014 at a new play festival and the following year was given its first full production by the Actors Guild.

"Elsen is considered a hometown hero by the local theatrical community," says Michael Ciaravella, artistic director of Troy Civic Theatre Company. "The play is a beautiful piece, well written and well crafted that touches on the Capital Region."

Buechner, who has a secondary role in the show, has been able to educate the cast by providing artifacts and mementos from Elsen's life. These include photo journals tracking Elsen's accomplishments in design and also sympathy cards sent to the family upon his death. Some objects, like a set of treasured dishes, are being used as props onstage. "With these original items it's like touching the past," says Ciaravella.

To some the pre-Stonewall scenario of "Boys in the Band" and the plague years of AIDS can seem like ancient history. Aware that it wasn't all that long ago, Buechner believes that civil rights aren't something to taken for granted.

"For a long time there was a stigma, then we kind of went mainstream," says Buechner. "Younger ones can't wrap their heads around why gay people had to fight."